Lock keeper cover



L. F. BIENEK LOCK KEEPER COVER Aug. 29, 19.50

.Filed Nov. 24, 1948 M A .Il

lLec! E l'enel( NVENTOR,

ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 29, 1950 ED* STATES 2.Claims.;

'l'ilfiefpufesent,inventiony relatiesi to '.doorzloicks, and@ panticumrlyftof. locks for: automobile doors;

Persons entering and leaving automohi'lealqnitel often:linnen theirY clothes across the lock keeper in the side jamh ofthe door opening.v Frequently, the keeper is oil'yor greasy; with the result that the: clothe-naires damagedc,

It is an object of the present;invention.tofprnY vide an automatically@ operated-iiiapzwhich will cover the latch keeper when the door is in openVV positiomand which will lie" flatly along theginsideA sux-faccio? the doorwhenF the door is in` closed position:

In carrying out the invention, the flap or keeper cover is pivotally mounted on the vertical door jamb, and electrically operated mechanism is provided for automatically swinging the ap in timed relation to the opening and closing of the door.

An important object of the invention is to provide a mechanism of this class which is simple in construction, easily installed, and which is suiiiciently sturdy to be practical for the purpose for which it is intended.

Other objects will be apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying single sheet of drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a dotted lined fragmentary perspective view of an automobile, the keeper covering plate of the invention being shown in solid lines;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the vertical jamb of an automobile door opening, showing the` keeper covering plate of the present invention in open position, and showing a conventional lock keeper installed on the jamb;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the device of the present invention, with the keeper covering plate thereof being shown in closed position;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view through the approximate center of the device, the dotted lines illustrating the plate in open position; and,

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view of an electric circuit used in connection with the device.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in those figures of the drawings in which they occur.

In the drawings:

The reference numeral I indicates, as a whole, the vertical jamb of an automobile door frame having an edge surface 2 into which is installed a. keeper plate 3 having a central opening 4 for receiving the conventional latch of a con- 2 ventionalidoor' lock; not shown; ofi ain: automobile? dnorv 'Fliesdevce fofthezpresent inifentioniis; intended;`V to cov.enithe/y platei and: opening lli: wnensthe door' 5 is open, and to automatically uncover: the

openingzll whemtlsieedoor: swung fto a closed position;

The.:A reference.; numeral clamping;v plate having an: integrar hooka I;If exc-.-n tending along; on'ei; edge for: its: entire yl'erigthi.. Ai second-'3 clamping: platev Wighafving af hookLportiom I3;I extending; alongA the',l entire; length: of; one; itszedgesz` isz adapted to.; be; slidably: disposedi upom the plate Il), and suitable clamping screws I4 eX- tending through slots I5 in the plate I2 act to hold the two plates in adjustable relation to each other. The two plates I6) and I2 are designed to lie along the inside surface of the jamb I, and to clamp over a usual arcuate bead I6 carried by the jamb face 2, and also to clamp over the rear arcuate edge, not shown, of the jamb I.

The operating or moving mechanism of the present invention is carried by the plate I8, and consists substantially of two spaced-apart perpendicular arms I8 and I9 which are integral with the inside surface of the plate It, and between which extends a rotatable shaft 28. The end portions of the shaft 2B are keyed or otherwise rigidly attached to arms 2| and 22 respectively, which are integral with and extend from a flat rectangular keeper cover-plate 23.

Intermediate its ends, the shaft 20 is rigidly attached to a lever arm 24 having a portion 25 projecting in one direction and a portion 2S projecting oppositely therefrom. The upper lever portion 25 is anchored firmly to the plate 23.

The inside surface of the plate It has a rigidly mounted perpendicular bracket 21 which rigidly supports the winding or eld of a solenoid 29. The core or bar 30 of the solenoid projects slidably through the bracket 21, and its end is pivotally mounted to the inside end of a link 3|. The other end of the elink 3| is pivotally attached to the lower end 25 of the lever 24. The arrangement is such that longitudinal movement of the solenoid core 3E! will rock the lever 24 and shaft 2B, and will consequently swing the protector or cover plate 23 toward and away from the opening 4 in the keeper 3. A helical retrieving spring 32 extends between the bracket 21 and the portion 25 of the lever 24, so as to normally hold the plate 23 in the position shown in Fig. 2.

Energization of the solenoid 29 pulls the core 30 away from the shaft 20 and therefore moves the plate 23 against action of the spring 32, and

|10:v indicateszA a; nati;

into the position illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. When in this position the plate 23 covers the opening d in the keeper 3.

A suitable wiring arrangement (Fig. 5), is provided in connection with the solenoid 29 so that when the door 5 is opened the solenoid is energized to move the core 353 away from the shaft 20. The circuit is opened and closed by movement of the hinged edge of the door 5 with relation to a conventiznal spring loaded push-button switch 40. The result is that when the door is opened the solenoid is energized and the opening 4 is continually covered by the plate 23. When the door has been swung to a nearly cl-osed position the solenoid is cle-energized, and the spring 32, then actuates the plate 23 to move to the position of Fig. 2 and the dotted line position of Fig. 4.

Obviously the invention is susceptible to some change or alteration without defeating its practicability, and I therefore do not wish to be confined to the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings and described herein, further than I am limited by the scope of the appended claims I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a door jamb having a lock-keeper installed on the door facing surface thereof, of a protective device for said keeper, including: elements adapted to be rmly clamped to said jamb; a keeper cover plate hingedly mounted on ene of said elements, said plate when in one position adapted to extend across and lie parallel to the door-facing surface of said jamb, and when in another position adapted to extend into the door opening in parallel relation to a closed door; a solenoid mounted on one of said elements; operative connections between said solenoid and the plate for swinging the plate from one position to the other and an electric switch for energizing said solenoid, said switch operated by movement of a door.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a door jamb having a lock-keeper installed on the door facing surface thereof, of a protective device for said keeper, including: a cover plate hingedly mounted onI said jamb adjacent the keeper, said plate adapted to cover the keeper when in closed position, and when in open position adapted to lie perpendicular to the jamb and parallel to a closed door; an electrically operated power unit for moving the plate into closed position; operative connections between said unit and said plate; and an electric switch adapted to be closed by swinging movement of said door i or energizing said unit.

LEO F. BIENEK.

REFERENCES CITED following references are of record in the this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS The ile of 

